Trinity Sunday AD 2025

Nicodemus, who came to Jesus under cover of night, said reverently and at first glance even humbly: “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” However, Jesus’ response to Nicodemus was somewhat unexpected, even harsh: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Essentially, this means that Jesus is telling Nicodemus that he only thinks he knows who Jesus is, but in reality he knows nothing and is not capable of knowing or understanding, because “we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.”

“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,” and unless someone is born again, he is nothing more than flesh bound to corruption. In order to see and enter the kingdom of God, one must be born from above, born of water and the Spirit. This new birth occurs through baptism and bears the fruit of eternal life only in those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

Seeing the kingdom of God, however, is not only about inheriting eternal life there, but above all, it is about seeing Jesus Christ for who He is: not just as a man with whom is God, but as the Son of man in whom God has come to be with us. Jesus is God made man, who gave Himself for us, lifted up on the cross of Calvary, just as Moses once lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so that “whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”